


Survivorship Bias

by lea_hazel



Category: Seven Kingdoms: The Princess Problem (Visual Novel)
Genre: Assassination Attempt(s), Banter, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Intrigue, Kissing, M/M, Rival Relationship, Scheming, Secrets, Trans Male Character, Week Five Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-17 05:15:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20615585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lea_hazel/pseuds/lea_hazel
Summary: A non-canonical variation on a canon scene near the end of week five of the game. Companion piece toFire Thorn.





	Survivorship Bias

The wreckage was dispiriting, to say the least. Somewhere in the back of his mind, it occurred to Claude that he should be more concerned about the wholeness of his own self, than the wholeness of the sets. But he had spent so long working on that damn balcony, only yesterday… And if he was honest with himself, which he did always try to be, he’d been surrounded by it all his life, the wreckage of other people’s mistakes. One might almost think he’d be used to it by now…

“Oh, good, you’re still in one piece.”

That mordant tone could only belong to one man.

Claude turned slowly on his heel, cautious not to disturb the sharp wooden splinters any more than he had to.

“Disappointed?” he asked.

Kade snorted inelegantly. “Nor surprised,” he said. “I know you’re more difficult to kill than that, even if you are an idiot.”

“Thanks,” said Claude dryly.

He frowned when a thought occurred to him, and dug in his pocket for the note that lured him down here, staring down at it, then crumpling it in his fist.

“How’d you know I’d be here?” he asked, at the same time as Kade reached forward and asked, “What’s that?”

They stared at each other, and Kade reached for the note again. Instinctively, Claude held it back from him. Kade scowled.

“Not until you answer my question,” said Claude. “What are you doing here? How did you know I’d be here?”

Kade shrugged and smiled smugly. “The walls have ears,” he said. “I know everything that happens in this castle.”

“Not an answer,” said Claude flatly, and made to shove the note back in his pocket.

Kade just held out his hand again and said, “Claude.”

He cursed his damned sentimentality, but only hesitated for a moment before he placed the crumpled paper scrap on his open palm.

Kade scanned the note briefly before crushing it to a small, crumpled ball between his hands. Scowling, he said, “Someone is playing games in my back yard, and I don’t like it.”

“Oh, is that all?” asked Claude, the heat rising up in his face.

“Wheels within wheels,” said Kade, his gaze fixed somewhere vaguely over Claude’s left shoulder. He shook himself and added, “You’d better get out of that mess before you trip over yourself and get hurt. What an embarrassment it would be for you to survive not one but two assassination attempts, only to fall prey to a wooden splinter.”

His words dripped contempt, but Claude wasn’t fooled.

Once he had extracted himself from the field of debris, he said, “I should get back to my room,” at the same time as Kade said, “I’m glad you’re not dead.”

“What?” said Claude, blinking.

“You’re right,” he went on.

Briefly, Claude wondered whether the stress had finally gotten to him and he was losing his mind.

“You’re right,” said Kade, “you should get back to your own quarters. Your silver knight won’t appreciate it at all if he discovers you lurking in dark corners with disreputable men, at this time of night.”

He was right in that Jasper would want to see that he was safe, thought Claude. He’d no doubt himself that Jasper must already know something about his apparent accident, in the same mysterious fashion as he always seemed to be appraised of his charge’s latest misadventures. And he was even less forthcoming about it than Kade, somehow. He had to make one last attempt, at least.

He took a half-step closer to him and said, “You never answered my question.”

Kade stepped even closer, until his face was just a handspan away from Claude’s.

“Don’t try to distract me,” said Claude softly. “I want answers.”

“Keep yourself alive for the last two weeks of the Summit,” said Kade, “and perhaps you’ll get them.”

He was about to ask another question when Kate tilted his head down to press his mouth against his, very briefly. The faint brush of lips made all sense and reason leak out of his head, like a cracked bucket. When he withdrew, Kade’s breath puffed against his cheek, like a small huff of laughter.

“You’d better get to bed, Claude,” he said, “and do try not to get yourself murdered before tomorrow.”

In his state of distraction, he very nearly got lost on his way back to his room.


End file.
